Taking power in 2011 with the help of French military intervention, 83-year-old President Alassane Ouattara is attempting to grab office for a fourth term by barring both main contestants from running for the upcoming election in October.

Left parties of West Africa warn that announcements by France-backed regimes in its former African colonies about the withdrawal of its troops is an attempt to deceive the anti-imperialist movement by hiding its military presence from public view.

The recent formation of the Alliance of Sahel States is further proof of the consolidation of anti-French sentiment in the region. Philippe Toyo Noudjenoume, President of the West Africa Peoples’ Organization, says that this sentiment is especially strong in the Sahel region but is common throughout French-speaking Africa

On a recent trip to Côte d’Ivoire, Kwesi Pratt, Jnr attended the launch of former president Laurent Gbagbo’s new political party and reflected on his vision for the future